A Brother's Bond
by The hazel-eyed bookworm
Summary: Sequel to "Harry Rosenblatt". Harry and Duncan had managed to survive their first year at Hogwarts, and the thing they most want it's a normal year. Of course, being who they are, that is impossible. Another mystery, an incompetent teacher and a strange bond, not to mention the changes they are experiencing. Great what else can go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my dear readers! Here's the first chapter of year two! Enjoy it!**

**The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! *hint, hint***

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"It's my turn! Give it to me!" Duncan yelled pulling the TV remote towards his side of the couch.

"The advertisements are going on in your channel. It makes more sense to put mine back on!" Harry shouted pulling it towards his side.

Duncan whined, "It's not fair. I'm watching a movie about faith, love, devition– "

"It's devotion!" Harry scowled.

"Yeah. I'm watching about the dangerous journey of how a father is reunited with his son and you want to watch a documentary on lions!" Duncan bellowed.

"You're watching an animated movie! About fishes! You've seen 'Finding Nemo' a dozen times and lions are so much better than fishes!" Harry yelled.

"Maybe they are, but you heard what they said; lions sleep 18 hours a day! "

"Not just that, Duncan! They hunt small animals and escape humans for the rest 7 hours–"

"6 hours! 18 from 24 is 6, Harry! And you're just proving my point! You told me what they do for 6 hours, now will you change to my channel?!"

"No!"

"It's not fair! It's my turn! And look! The advertisements are done and the movie is back on, so Shushhh!" Duncan slipped the remote from Harry's grip as the latter sulked and went into the kitchen, "_Es injusto. La ha mirado tantas veces ... __¡Podría actuarla_!" They just talked in Spanish in the house. Coming to think about it, it could be a good idea to taught their friends that language…

(Unfair. He watched it so many times... He can just go act in it!)

_"¡Te escuché!"_ (I heard you!)

"Argh!"

Harry has really wanted to know about the luminescent vision of lions in the night. When their eyes glowed in the dark, there were some…stuff that fireflies had, which lit it up. He had no idea what the 'stuff' was called. And now, he'd have to wait for tomorrow's rerun of the episode.

He hated it when they fought like this. He knew it was what Mom called, brotherly quarrels. And in truth, he did wish they could skip these parts. He knew of Duncan's fascination of 'Finding Nemo'. And it's not about fishes.

Harry knew that Duncan would like to think that his Dad was searching for him. In the movie, the clownfish crossed the entire ocean to save his son. He knew everything about the war against Kaiju and all that, but when danger had passed, then he would have come back to her, right? Who would not want a lovely lady like Margaret? In all honestly (Harry prayed Duncan wasn't listening to his thoughts at that moment) she was kind and sweet and beautiful and the best mother in the world.

A month had passed since they left the station, and quite a lot of things had happened. For example, Barnes didn't treat them so badly since he was somewhat scared of their magic, a thing that Duncan and Harry used to their full advantage. For the first couple of weeks back, Harry and Duncan had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under their breath and watching Barnes tearing out of the room or jumping about two feet in the air.

More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry and Duncan missed their best friends, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger.

They, however, didn't seem to be missing them at all. None of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry and Duncan to come.

But the long silence from Ron, Neville and Hermione had made Harry and Duncan feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Barnes had lost its appeal. Their Mom thought this very odd, but as she was a Muggle and they didn't have Hermione's phone number, she was as the same as the twins.

They also had told their Mom about their weird mental bond. She almost had crashed with the car in front of her. After a while of discussion, they decided to keep it secret (yet another one) unless something happened to them. So far, the only thing that had happened is that Harry didn't need his glasses anymore.

"Mamá, estoy aburrido. ¿Qué hago?" Harry asked his Mom, who was preparing lunch. (Mom, I'm bored. What should I do?)

"Have you written to Ron, Hermione or Neville?" she asked distractedly.

Harry sighed. "Yeah, we have, but they just don't answer. Cuando volvamos al colegio voy a dejar suelto al dragoncito." Said Harry, switching to Spanish without meaning to.

"Again: I heard you!" came Duncan's irritated voice. (When we go back to school I will let go of the little dragon)

Margaret was thoughtful for a moment, then she smiled.

"Let's see if you can solve this riddle."

"I hate riddles!" Harry complained. "But I haven't got anything better to do, so fire away, Mom." He quickly backtracked, seeing her expression.

"Mom, I'm…"

"Bored, we know." Harry said to his brother, who had just entered. "Mom's going to tell me a riddle. I am horrible with riddles." He moaned. Duncan, on the other hand, had a expression of absolute delight.

"A riddle! I am awesome with riddles! Tell me!"

Margaret smiled, this riddle in particular had made her spent two hours thinking it:

_Ena had five children, as you may know now._

_Not one less, not one more._

_The second was called Nea_

_The third was called Nae_

_And if you want to go further, the question will be:_

_How is the fifth child called?_

"It's an anagram! Cool!" smirked Duncan. Harry stared at him in puzzlement.

"It's an…?" Duncan huffed.

"An anagram, Raven. It's when you put the letters or a word in a different order to form a different word. _Ena had five children_…" Duncan left the kitchen muttering to himself. Harry stared at his mother in wonder.

"Help please?"

"No, you have to figure this out by yourself." Margaret smiled. Harry growled at her and stormed away from the kitchen. Margaret stared at him. Had it been her imagination, or Harry's eyes had turned grey for a second?

* * *

"You know about this matter as much as I do, don't you?" said Harry a couple of hours later. He still couldn't resolve that riddle, and was sitting on one of the steps of the stairs, petting Demon.

The black dog just barked. He had gotten bigger over the year, but he was still on the short end. Harry smiled, how he didn't think about this before? Duncan had already solved the riddle. He focused on the bond between he and his twin…and failed miserably.

"_Harry what are you doing?! Get out of my head!_" Duncan's voice yelled in his head. Harry winced and promised himself to work on his subtlety. His brother appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Harry grinned a wide grin. Duncan growled at him with a little of smoke coming out his mouth.

"OUCH!" yelped Harry when Demon bit his finger. "You traitor!" Duncan laughed as Demon ran down to him. He began petting his dog.

"Tú cada vez me caes major, sabes?" laughed Duncan at Demon. (I'm liking you more by the second, you know?)

"It's my revenge for all those math problems you refused to help me with." Duncan taunted.

"_You wait until you are asleep, I will attack_!" Harry threatened. Duncan growled.

Harry growled an identical growl at them. He headed towards his bedroom and opened the door. What he saw made his eyes go wide.

"_DUNCAAAAAAAAANN!"_

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**I know, I know, I'm a fast writer hehe.**

**The one who can solve the riddle gains a cookie! (if you can't it will be published in the next chapter)**

**Review!**

**Your favorite dark-eyes,**

**H. E. B.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my loyal readers, I have news for you! The next chapter it's up! Review! And enjoy!**

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Harry managed not to shout out, but he did it mentally. The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.

As Harry and the creature stared at each other, they heard a noise like someone tripping, and suddenly the door slammed open and Duncan appeared, very worried.

"Harry! I heard you scream! What happened?! What happened?! What…are you?" asked Duncan to the creature, having just realized it was there. "Sorry, I meant, who are you?"

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg-holes.

"Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.

"Oh — really?" said Harry and Duncan together.

"_Did I mention that a certain Snow White has entered the house now_?" asked Duncan

"_WHAT?! Barnes is here?!"_

"_Apparently he wants to check my firebreath. Shouldn't have scared him with it…" _Duncan trailed off

"Er — I don't want to be rude or anything, but — this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom."

The elf hung his head.

"Sorry for being so rude, but we are in a hurry. Is there any particular reason you're here?" asked Duncan

"Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"Maybe from the beginning?" said Harry idly, listening to any noise from the ground floor.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter and Duncan Rosenblatt met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago… that they escaped _yet again_." Duncan nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

"Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is valiant and bold, and Duncan Rosenblatt too! They have braved so many dangers already!

"My surname it's Rosenblatt, Dobby." Harry corrected.

"But Dobby has come to protect Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt, to warn them, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later… Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt must not go back to Hogwarts."

"W-what?" Harry stammered. "But we've got to go back — term starts on September first. Downstairs there's a guy who wants to take us to MEGTAF. You don't know what it's like there. They don't treat me as normal; they treat Duncan like a living, breathing experiment. We don't belong here. We belong in your world — at Hogwarts."

"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt must stay where they are safe. They are too great, too good, to lose. If Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt goes back to Hogwarts, they will be in mortal danger."

"Why?" said Duncan in surprise.

"There is a plot. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt must not put themselves in peril. They is too important, sir!"

"What terrible things?" said Harry at once.

"Who's plotting them?" asked Duncan immediately

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell us. I understand. But why are you warning us?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck him.

"Hang on — this hasn't got anything to do with Vol — sorry — with You-Know-Who, has it? You could just shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby's head tilted worryingly close to the wall again. Slowly, Dobby shook his head.

"Not — not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir —" But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give the twins a hint. They, however, were completely lost.

"He hasn't got a brother, has he?" asked Duncan

Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.

"Harry, Duncan, can you come here?!" their mother's voice echoed

"Just a minute Mom!" Harry yelled back

"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing — you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?" Dobby bowed his head.

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, sir" — Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper — "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't… powers no decent wizard…" And before the Evans could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head. Duncan quickly grabbed him.

"You don't understand, we've got to go back to Hogwarts." Said Duncan as he let go of him. "It's the only place I've got — well, I _think _I've got friends."

"Friends who don't even _write _to Harry and Duncan?" said Dobby slyly.

"How do _you _know my friends haven't been writing to me?" asked Duncan dangerously.

Dobby shuffled his feet.

"Duncan Rosenblatt mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best —"

"Have you been stopping my letters_?_" growled Duncan quietly, looking ready to pounce

"Dobby has them here, sir," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of the brothers' reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Duncan could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, Neville's hurried letter, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid. Dobby blinked anxiously up at the twins.

"Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt thought their friends had forgotten them… they might not want to go back to school, sir…" Harry wasn't listening. He made a grab for the letters, but Dobby jumped out of reach.

"Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt will have them, sirs, if they gives Dobby their word that they will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sirs, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, sir!"

Duncan and Harry looked at each other and nodded. Harry moved in front of Dobby and his brother behind him. Duncan pounced at the elf and Harry tried to reach him in the front. Dobby evaded them two and moved out of the way.

Duncan glared at him, growling.

"Give us our friends' letters…" his voice was now more like resembling growls and hisses."Or you will know why I am named Belloc Junior." He threatened, his eyes shining a sinister shade of green.

"Duncan and Harry Rosenblatt leaves Dobby no choice," said the elf sadly. Before they could move, Dobby had darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.

"No no no no no!" they silently said as they ran after him.

"_Up there_!" pointed Harry

On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.

"Harry and Duncan must say they's not going back to school —"

"Dobby… please…" begged Harry

"Say it, sir —"

. "Look, we won't go back to Hogwarts, okay? I swear, for my humanity." Duncan said. Harry stopped in his tracks. "_Clever, Duncan_."

"_Thank you._"

"Harry and Duncan Rosenblatt won't go back to Hogwarts?" asked Dobby for confirmation. Duncan and Harry nodded. With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.

"Well that was really weird." Mumbled Duncan.

"Mjm." Harry agreed. "Good thinking about the humanity thing."

"Well thank you. I crossed my fingers just in case." Chuckled Duncan, then sniffed the air.

"Guess we'll have to go with Barnes then." Sighed Duncan.

"Yipee." Moaned Harry

* * *

"Well, this doesn't look too bad." Said Doctor Patel, checking Duncan's skin.

"Are you kidding me? My face looks like the Australian outback." Duncan retorted.

"You are a song about life, about joy…" Harry chuckled at Duncan's pessimism

"More like the surface of Mars." Opined Barnes

"Mars? No, it's not Mar- I mean, a little bit Mars, but no." chuckled Patel. Duncan raised his eyebrows. "_It's that supposed to make me feel better?_" the eleven-year-old thought

"Is this it, doc? Or should we expect other surprises?" asked Barnes impatiently

"Considering that we are talking about a half-human, half-dragon boy who in addition it's a wizard…yeah, I would say yes." Harry snapped, irritated about the man. Patel nodded at him before turning to Barnes

"Well, obviously, Duncan's innate strength and resilience have been growing steadily since birth, but his natural fight-or-flight response created a hyper-stimulated state, which manifested itself as incendia respiro."

Barnes looked baffled, while Duncan and Harry looked at each other in confusion. "_What the hell?"_

"It's fire breath." Explained Patel

"Actually, in Spanish the literal term would be 'Fuego respiro" or also "aliento de fuego"." Harry grinned cheekily.

"Yeah, you're right, Harry, and you have it, Duncan." Patel said as Duncan touched his throat, impressed.

"You'll learn to control it in time, but until then, you're just going to have to stay out of situations with, uh, potential conflict."

"Like Hogwarts?" asked Harry, remembering Dobby's words. "Or high school in general?"

"High school. I remember high school. That place didn't work out well for me. " Patel chuckled in remembrance, before being dragged away by Barnes. Duncan was too occupied playing with his firebreath, but Harry tried to listen.

"What I'm asking is when will Duncan constitute a threat?" asked Barnes, making Harry frown

"To humanity? Duncan? No, no. He's a sweet boy." said Patel. Harry looked at his brother, wanting to agree with Patel, but instead he remembered the trapdoor's night, his eyes when he looked at him after killing Quirrel. When Harry had looked at Duncan, he wasn't there. There was a monster in his place. "_No, I'll help Duncan to control it, I swear_." Harry thought fiercely.

"He's not a pandemic." Patel was saying. Those words rang a bell in Harry's head. Pandemic, powers, Kaiju, bond, his eyes. His mother had told him his eyes had changed from green to grey.

"It's only a matter of time before-"

"Can you check me as well? More specifically, my eyes?" asked Harry. Barnes, Duncan and Patel looked at him puzzled. Patel sighed and moved the lantern close to Harry's eyes. "I thought you wore glasses, Harry?" she asked.

"I used to, but one day I awoke and I didn't need them. It's odd." Harry said, before noticing his vision shifting. Suddenly the bright light didn't was as hurtful as before. Patel gasped. "Oh my! Barnes can you call Margaret please?"

"What happens? What's wrong?!" asked Duncan in a panic. Harry looked at him and Duncan froze.

Harry's eyes, instead of being emerald green (as they always had and always should be) were now of a pale grey, with pupils like slits.

"Your eyes," Duncan choked out. "Your eyes…are like mine!"

"What?!" Harry asked, grabbing the mirror Patel gave to him and realizing the truth. "I have Kaiju eyes." He said slowly, as to confirm it. The others nodded.

"Maybe…maybe this has something to do with our bond?" asked Duncan.

"Bond? What bond?" asked Barnes.

And Harry told them. All that had happened in relation to it. When he was finished, they had to suppose it was because of the bond, as they didn't have any other explanation.

"Duncan, Harry." Said a voice behind them. The twins turned and gulped. "_Oh dear, Mom seems pissed_."

"Hi, mom." They greeted nervously. She went past them to stop in front of Barnes.

"Whose brilliant idea was it to bring Duncan _and_ Harry here? " she snapped. The brothers were silently cheering for their mom.

Uh... how have you been, Margaret? It's been a while. Look – I-I don't like this either, but now Duncan has firebreath and Harry has-"

"That's what we call a "**your problem**."" Margaret cut him off

"_WOHOO! GO MOM!"_ cheered Harry. Duncan tried to hide a smile.

"I have a legal contract with MEGTAF, stipulating my sons have as normal a life as humanly possible. " argued Margaret

"And that's exactly what I'm doing, Margaret. Your sons are fine kids, especially for two boys without a father. I'd be happy to give you my two cents about them over dinner sometime…"

Meanwhile, Duncan and Harry were fuming.

"_He's hitting on our Mom? He's hitting on OUR MOM?!_" snarled Duncan viciously

"_She's married already, idiot! Duncan, can you do the honors_?" asked Harry

"_Will be my pleasure_." Smirked him, and made a ring of fire go floating until it stopped above Barnes head.

"A son of a buck!" shouted Barnes when he noticed it. Margaret gasped, Duncan looked smug and Harry snickered.

"Not bad, huh?" asked Duncan with his voice trembling with laughter.

"Very interesting." Chipped in Patel. Margaret looked at Harry and saw him giving her a grey-eyes wink.

"Oh, babies." She said softly.

The twins weren't bothered at all for this new revelation. At least, not yet. The only thought that occupied their heads was "_This is going to be an interesting year."_

When they arrived home, Duncan was still sighing just to see how far he could make the fire go.

"Duncan, please, I know you are excited about this, but please, don't light that curtain on fire. My friend Anne gave it to me."

"ANE!" said Harry out of the blue. Duncan and Margaret looked at him puzzled.

"The answer of the riddle! It was Ane!"

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**Quite a twist from cannon, huh?**

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my longest chapter yet! If you have ideas tell me, okay?**

* * *

Barnes had been as surprised at the turn of events as everyone else. He seemed to be half-terrified, half-furious of them, not that it was much of a change of the way he used to treat them.

"Why do you think Barnes gets all mad when we are near?" Duncan asked Harry once.

"Elementary, my dear dragon. Our Kaiju side is developing; we're Belloc's kids, in case you haven't noticed." Duncan frowned, it was strange hearing Harry referring Belloc as his dad. So far he had been the only one who did that.

They had been thinking about Harry's eyes when they arrived. Now that the initial shock had passed, Duncan couldn't help being a bit worried. How much would Harry change? Would he be a Halfie like him? Was there a way to stop it? What if somebody found out?

* * *

The next morning, the twins were woken up by a loud 'CRASH!'.

"The hell?!" yelled a certain fair-haired halfbreed as he fell off his bed.

"Dunno, maybe Mom and Barnes arguing again." Harry frowned. The oldest twin, still bleary eyed, yanked the door open to shout at whoever interrupted his sleep. He was about to, when he heard voices from the living room, it was obviously a heated argument and the angry shouts made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Duncan got up from the floor, now fully awake and alert.

He listened to the voices; one was obviously their mother, the one that was shouting the loudest.

With a jolt, they realized the voice belonged to Dumbledore.

"_Am I the only one who doesn't like that man?"_ Duncan asked. To Hell the fact that he had helped Harry with him, he had tried to make Harry use a surname that wasn't his anymore, and coming to think about it, the Philosopher Stone was a bit weakly protected…

He usually like to stay out of Margaret's shouting matches, his mother could get scary when she wanted to.

"_Seems that Mom doesn't like him very much_." Harry answered

_"And you?"_

_"Honestly I don't know. You are right, there's something fishy in here, but that doesn't mean he's evil."_

_"I never said he was evil, I said he was a manipulative old coot."_

Harry silently reached the staircase; he knew this would be the real obstacle. He carefully placed his bare foot on the cold wood, and drew it back quickly when it creaked.

"_Stupid bloody creaking staircase_!" Harry thought. Duncan chuckled.

"_Want to prove if you are transforming in a halfie_?" asked Duncan. Harry raised his eyebrow but chuckled at the halfie part. "_Watch me and copy me_." Said Duncan, and he ran towards the rail and leaped off, tucking his head in, so when he hit the floor he rolled a bit and stood up unharmed. It didn't make a sound. Harry gave him a flat look and slid along the rail.

"_You're boring_." Duncan snapped

They crept to the kitchen and pressed their backs into the wall next to the doorway where no one could see them, and listened.

"It's for the greater good!" Dumbledore shouted.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BLOODY GREATER GOOD!" That was unmistakably Margaret.

"He will be safer with them!"

"LIKE HELL HE WOULD! I KNOW HOW PETUNIA IS!" Duncan and Harry winced at the loud voice

"Something related to your son caused Quirrel to die, Duncan has magic too unstable! If we send Harry away he can be better protected!"

"_Lies!_" growled Harry as Duncan looked at him gratefully.

"Nothing, NOTHING OR NOBODY COULD LOOK AFTER HARRY BETTER THAN ME AND DUNCAN!"

"_I agree with Mom_." Duncan's voice echoed in his head, it sounded like his teeth were clenched in an attempt to keep his anger at bay, "_We would rather die than let you get hurt, big brother."_

Harry felt both happy and sad at those words, happy to know that they care for him so much, but sad of the thought of a world without his mother and brother. What a lonely, dark, miserable world.

"YOU SAY THAT THE GREATEST POWER IN THE WORLD IS LOVE, YET YOU WOULD TAKE A BOY FROM A LOVING FAMILY AND DUMP HIM WITH HORRIBLE EXCUSES OF HUMAN BEINGS!"

"It will make him stronger!"

"IT WILL MAKE HIM WEAK AND VUNRULABLE! BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, ISN'T IT! YOU PUT HARRY WITH ME IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ME NEGLECT HIM IN FAVOR OF DUNCAN! IT'S BECAUSE OF THE PROPHECY ALL THIS?!"

"Prophecy?" Harry stored the information for later questioning.

"Time to step in." Duncan thought as he and Harry stepped into the kitchen. He could see glass shattered across the floor; he guessed that was the crash that had woken him up.

"Hello, beautiful morning isn't it?" His mother and Dumbledore turned to him so fast he wouldn't be surprised if one of them got whip lash.

"Harry my boy! You must come with me!" The headmaster said and reached put to grab Harry's arm.

Margaret jumped forward yelling, "HEY!" and Duncan growled, but Harry just stepped back out of his reach.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Whoa!" Harry said to the man with his hand in front of him, "OK, you really need to leave, like now, no questions."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Shhhh," Harry said in a loud whisper, "It's for the greater good you not to see us again." Harry could see Duncan smiling as his brother was getting one up on "the goat" as Duncan called him. Margaret looked calmer but still annoyed.

"How?"

"Merlin! All these questions!," Harry said throwing up his hand in annoyance, "What part of 'no questions' don't you understand?" Duncan clapped a hand over his mouth trying to stop laughing.

Duncan decided to step in. Harry had thrown all politeness out the window when he heard Dumbledore planned to take him away. Well, he could do the same. He never liked Dumbledore anyway. "The unestable magic you sensed was Harry's and my magic connecting so deep that formed a bond, now Harry is changing to look like a Rosenblatt, so he's fully my brother." He invented…a bit. "Now you tell me you are trying to take him away. Are you really as dumb as you look?" Duncan asked Dumbledore who was turning red. Harry burst out laughing and Margaret, all traces of anger had left her, replaced by a huge smile.

Dumbledore was fuming.

"You should learn to respect your elders." Dumbledore growled.

Duncan shrugged. "You should learn to respect your betters."

This time Margaret was laughing as well.

"Why you litt-"

"Now, as I was saying, you need to leave." Harry ducked around Dumbledore and started to push him towards the door.

"Potter!" Dumbledore yelled but Harry ignored him and pushed the old man outside.

Dumbledore stumbled down the concrete stairs into the rather pitiful garden, trying to regain his balance. Harry slammed the door in his face.

"Dimples has left the building!" Shouted Harry. He heard the laughter increase.

Harry walked into the kitchen to see his family collapsed on the tiled floor.

"H-Harry!"Duncan said trying to speak through his laughter, "That was bloody brilliant!"

"You r-really shouldn't have done that!" Margaret choked out, "But I-I'm glad you did!" more calmed, she continued. "He wouldn't listen to me, we would never send you away. Now this is even less possible because of the connection you formed."

"My kind has to stick together." Smirked Duncan. "Never really liked that goat." He said, ignoring the look Margaret gave him. "But I thought you would be polite." He said amazed.

"As much as I dislike Dumbledore now, that was blatant disrespect." Said Margaret. Harry pretended not to hear her. If his family was involved, there was nothing he wouldn't do.

"What was that thing about a prophecy?" asked Harry. Margaret sighed.

"There was a prophecy made shortly after you were born, I think that was the reason James and Lily had to go into hiding. I don't know what it says, if I know I would tell you." She said.

"There's no reason to worry if we don't know what it says." Harry reasoned. A tap in the window made Margaret open it and two owls deposited their letters in front of her.

"Letters from school," said Margaret, passing Harry and Duncan identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink.

For a few minutes there was silence as they read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.

_Second-Year Students Will Require:_

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk_

_Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_

"That's a lot of books by Gilderoy Lockhart." Harry said raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly there was another tap on the window.

"Hedwig!" cried Duncan. "She'll have Hermione's letter!" he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

_Dear Harry and Duncan:_

_I hope you're alright, I was getting nervous with you not answering my letters.__ "I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'_- How _can_ she be?" said Harry in horror. "We're on holiday! -_'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books, and I'll meet the Weasley in there. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley? Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. _

_Love from Hermione."_

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Margaret.

* * *

Margaret woke them early the following Wednesday. After a quick two sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats, got into the car and drove to Diagon Alley.

"This never ceases to amaze me." Margaret muttered as they headed towards Gringotts.

"Harry! Duncan! Over here!"

Duncan looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.

"Harry, what happened to your glasses? Hello, Mrs. Rosenblatt. Hi Duncan - oh, it's_ wonderful_ to see you three again - are you coming into Gringotts, guys?"

"Don't need them anymore, Hermione, and yeah, we're coming." Said Harry.

"Hey guys!" a voice said behind them. The Rosenblatts spun around and saw the whole Weasley family. After quick greetings, (and Mr. Weasley amazed at the Muggle money of Margaret and the Grangers) they went into Gringotts.

"Meet you back here." Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and the Rosenblatts were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry and Duncan enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he and Duncan hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

Gilderoy Lockhart

will be signing copies of his autobiography

_MAGICAL ME_

Today 12:30 - 4:30 P.M.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

Harry didn't miss the low growl that made Duncan at Hermione's tone of voice.

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, there… mind the books, now…."

Harry, Ron, Duncan and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of _The StandardBookof Spells, Grade 2_ and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Margaret and Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good." said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…."

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

Duncan scrunched his nose, Harry made a gagging sound and Margaret stared, a bit disgusted.

"He can be a good boyfriend for a lucky man." Said Margaret, making Duncan, Harry and Ron laugh a little.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there." he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the _Daily Prophet_ -"

"Big deal." said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron - and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It _can't_ be Harry Potter?"

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front.

"There's a mistake." Harry tried to say as Lockhart dragged him. "My surname it's Rosenblatt." He said, changing his eyes to grey without meaning to.

The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke.

"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to his family, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge -" The crowd applauded again.

"He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, MagicalMe. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" yelled Duncan, but he wasn't heard because the crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.

"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own -"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Rosenblatt?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

"Famous Harry Rosenblatt." said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Just then Duncan, Ron and Hermione came, clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you." said Duncan, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe.

"Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?" said Ron

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley." retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." He was distracted by identical growls coming from the twins.

"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."

It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.

"Lucius." said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear." said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids… I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_.

"Obviously not." Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"You're the one who is a disgrace to the wizard name." Duncan said snarling.

"We have very different ideas of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr. Weasley said.

"Clearly." said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Margaret, who was fuming, then to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower -"

"There's nothing wrong with Muggles, you stupid prejudiced git." Margaret said glaring.

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.

Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; "Go Mr. Weasley!" from Duncan and Harry; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over;

"Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all -

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an _Encyclopedia of Toadstools_. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur." said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright, Margaret and her sons fuming and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A _fine_ example to set for your children… _brawling_ in public… _what _Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"

"Who cares?" Duncan and Harry said

"He was pleased." said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the _Daily Prophet_ if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -"

t They said good-bye to the Weasleys, who were leaving the pub via Floo powder and got into the car. Duncan was confused, for a second he thought he smelled something dark in one of the books…

Harry meanwhile, had a completely different thing on his mind. He wondered if it was fun travelling by Floo poder.

* * *

**I'm sorry for those who don't like Dumbledore bashing.**

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my longest chapter yet! If you have ideas tell me, okay?**

* * *

The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for the brothers' liking. They were looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, and to get rid of those visits to MEGTAF, but this had been a wonderful vacation, and they had befriended their neighbor and her friend: Isabel Vasquez and Kenny Rogers.

It took a long while to get started the morning of the departure. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. All in all, they arrived at the station just in time.

Margaret dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

Harry had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing. They met the Weasleys and had to wait.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.

"I'll take Ginny and you four come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Margaret, Harry, Duncan and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off.

Margaret strode forwards and vanished, the three boys just behind her. They broke into a run and —

CRASH.

The three trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Duncan' trunk collided with him, making him fall, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; Demon barked in indignation inside his cage; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Lost control of the trolley," Duncan gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up. Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.

"Why can't we get through?" Duncan growled to Ron.

"I dunno —"

Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them. "We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself —"

Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ten seconds… nine seconds… He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid. Three seconds… two seconds… one second…

"It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any Muggle money?"

"Nope."

Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier. Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"Can't hear a thing," he said tensely, "What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take my parents and your mom to get back to us." They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches.

"I think we'd better go and wait by the car, Harry," said Duncan. "We're attracting too much atten —"

"Guys!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "My car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts! Dad enchanted it to fly, along with an invisibility buttom"

"But I thought —"

"Shouldn't we wait for Mom?"

"The train left, right? We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy —"

"But your Mum and Dad…" said Harry, pushing against the barrier again in the vain hope that it would give way. "How will they get home?" finished Duncan

"They don't need the car!" said Ron impatiently. "They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apparate yet…" Harry's feeling of panic turned suddenly to excitement.

"Can you fly it?" asked Duncan excited. If everything went well, they wouldn't need to explain that to their mom…

"No, problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. "C'mon, let's go. If we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express —" And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where an old Ford Anglia was parked. Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig and Finem on the back seat, and got into the front, Duncan in the back seat.

"Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Duncan stuck his head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty.

"Okay," he said. Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

"Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right.

And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.

Then there was a popping noise and the car, Harry, Duncan and Ron reappeared.

"Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty —"

Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.

"Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.

"Now what?" said Duncan, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.

"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.

"Dip back down again — quickly —" They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.

"I can see it!" Duncan yelled. "Right ahead — there!" The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.

The first hours were exciting, but when the sun had disappeared, they were thirsty, irritable, and more and more convinced that maybe taking the car wasn't a good idea…

"Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"

It was still right below them, winding its way past a snowcapped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds. Ron put his foot down on the accelerator and drove them downwards again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine, and Duncan's door flew open.

Duncan fell out grabbing the inside handle of the car door quickly,

He clung to it dangling over hundreds of feet in the air.

"DUNCAN!" yelled Harry leaning over to try and help him back in, Duncan tried to push himself up, as Ron held out his hand. "Hold on!" he yelled, Duncan reached grabbed his hand;

but it slipped from his grasp.

"Hold ON!" Ron yelled louder, his eyes wide with worry.

"I'm trying!" Duncan yelled back. "PULL ME UP!"

Finally with one big reach Duncan grasped Harry's hand tightly and he helped drag him back into the car. When his feet were in; he slammed the door shut. Panting, Harry, Duncan and Ron shared nervous glances. "Best put the lock on," he said clicking a button on his side.

* * *

When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.

"There!" Harry shouted, making Ron, Duncan, Demon and Hedwig jump. "Straight ahead!" Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle. But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.

"Come on," Ron muttered.

They were over the lake — the castle was right ahead — Ron put his foot down. There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.

"Uh-oh," said Ron, into the  
silence.

The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.

"Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time. Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket —

"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them —

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Duncan bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late—

CRUNCH.

With an earsplitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig and Demon were shrieking in terror; a golfball-size lump was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan. Duncan was coughing for breath.

"Are you okay?" Harry said urgently. Duncan gave him a coughy "yeah"

"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand —"

It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school, but he never even got started. At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending him lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

"What's happen —?"

Duncan gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it. The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.

"Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in.

"Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.

Duncan' eyes suddenly shone green, wide.

"GIVE ME SOME ROOM!" He yelled, lunging to the front seat as a huge branch crushed the site he had been a moment ago

"We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating — the engine had restarted.

"Reverse!" Harry yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.

"That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car —"

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry and Duncan felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig and Finem's cage flew through the air and burst open; they rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!"

But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

"Can you believe our luck?" said Ron miserably,

"Come on," said Duncan wearily, "we'd better get up to the school…"

Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.

"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey — guys — come and look — it's the Sorting!"

"Hang on…" Duncan muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table… Where's Snape?" Professor Severus Snape was the cousins' least favorite teacher. Harry and Duncan also happened to be Snape's least favorite students. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.

"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.

"Maybe he's _left_," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job _again_!"

"Or he might have been _sacked_!" said Duncan enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him —"

"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."

Harry and Duncan spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.

"T-T-This is not what it seems." Duncan said nervously

"Follow me," said Snape. Not daring even to look at each other, Harry, Duncan and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing. They entered Snape's office, shivering

Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.

"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekicks Rosenblatt and Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a _bang_, did we, boys?"

"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it —"

"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?" Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Duncan the impression of being able to read minds.

But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the _Evening Prophet_. "You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline_: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. _He began to read aloud: "Six or seven Muggles in all.

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.

"That tree did more damage to us than we —" Ron blurted out.

"_Silence_!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me.

I shall go and fetch the people who _do _have that happy power. You will wait here." Harry, Duncan and Ron stared at each other, white-faced.

Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before. She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry, Duncan and Ron flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.

"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.

"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.

Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.

"— so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe _you _have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry. He gaped at her. Now she said it that seemed the obvious thing to have done.

"I — I didn't think —" Duncan stammered

"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."

There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Duncan's whole body went numb. All the things Harry and he had said to him…oh, they were so dead…

There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."

Harry told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron. Harry and Duncan looked quickly at Dumbledore.

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon the three of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight."

"_Oh, oh_." Duncan and Harry gulped

Snape cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —"

"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore, before turning to the boys. "I must warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled.

Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry, Duncan and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.

"You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley and Rosenblatt, you're bleeding."

"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve.

"I'm fine." Said Duncan, trying to wipe the blood that was in his shirt. That had been a nasty crash…

"Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted —"

"The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."

"And speaking of Gryffindor —" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in:

"Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so — so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it — should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously. Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway.

"I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably. "But you will both get a detention." It was better than Harry and Duncan had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to their Mom…well, they deserved it.

* * *

After eating sandwiches McGonagall had conjured for them, they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden

"Password?" the Fat Lady said as they approached.

"Er —" said Harry. They didn't know the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them.

"_There _you are! Where have you _been_? The most _ridiculous _rumors — someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying _car_!"

"Well, we haven't been expelled," Duncan assured her.

"You're not telling me you _did _fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.

"We didn't have a choice." Duncan protested

"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."

"It's 'wattlebird,'" said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point —"

Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry, Duncan and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.

"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years —"

"Good for you," said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"

Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Duncan could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off.

Duncan nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.

"Got to get upstairs — bit tired," he said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.

"'Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.

They managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. They entered the familiar, circular room, with its six four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Their trunks had been brought up for them and stood at the ends of their beds.

Ron grinned guiltily at Harry and Duncan.

"I know I shouldn't've enjoyed that or anything, but…"

The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.

"_Unbelievable_!" beamed Seamus.

"Cool," said Dean.

"Amazing," said Neville, awestruck. Harry and Duncan couldn't help it. They grinned, too.

* * *

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my longest chapter yet! **

**Now, I have something to tell you. In my profile there's a Poll tp decide when will Belloc appear in the series. Go and vote!**

* * *

The next day, they didn't grin once. Things went downhill when they were going to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were going with Ron, Neville and Hermione (who couldn't stand mad at Duncan for long) when Ron spotted her.

"Guys, the lady talking with Prof. McGonagall, the one beside the door, isn't your Mom?" asked Ron confused. The twins looked at the woman and paled.

"Kyiaahh!" squeaked Harry while Duncan hid behind him.

"Why is she here?" asked Neville.

"It's obvious isn't it? Her sons were almost killed for their own stupidity. It's a good reason to give you two a big tongue lashing. Good luck guys." Muttered Hermione eyeing the woman.

"Hey guys…"

"Isn't that…"

"Your Mom?" asked Fred, George and Lee, who were passing. They took their pale faces as a 'yes'. They were about to go to eat when an arm stopped them.

"Hide me!" pleaded Duncan. The twins gave him a look of understanding.

_"Oh dear. Oh dear dear dear dear."_ Thought Harry as McGonagall left and his mother finally spotted them. Their friends headed to the Great Hall in a rush.

"Erm…um…h-h-hi Mom, how are you?" asked Harry nervously, passing a hand through his hair.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Margaret in a deadly whisper. Oh, Harry knew well what it was. The calm before the storm. "Where is your brother?" Margaret asked him. Harry raised his eyebrows in confusion and looked around. Duncan was nowhere to be seen.

That's when he spotted one extra redheaded head between the Weasley twins, that suddenly turned to blond.

"I'm going to get him." Harry assured his mom, who was looking in the same direction as him.

"The charm wore off, but I think you won't be noticed." Fred assured him as Duncan saw his red hair change back to his natural blonde color. No, he knew that this wouldn't be enough. After cursing wildly in his mind with an enraged voice, Duncan began furiously pounding the clone with a single fist.

"Fred! Do you know what you are? JUST A FAT SON OF BI-AYIYAYIAAH!"

The bitter bookworm never got the chance to finish that insult because at the "BI-" Harry grabbed his shoulder.

After literally staying in the exact same spot for a moment, just long enough for Duncan to look at his brother and then look at his hair before realizing what it meant, the halfbreed was being pulled back by the hair by his brother (resulting in the "-AYIYAYIAAH").

"Stop, Harry, it hurts!" Duncan complained.

"If I fall, you will fall with me." Said Harry matter-of-factly as they stepped in front of their mother.

"_So_." she said.

"Morning Mom," Duncan greeted her.

In all complete honesty, the twins thought Kaiju were scary…until they got his mother mad.

"I understand that you panicked when the barrier was sealed, but DID YOU WAIT IN THE CAR, OR SENT HEDWIG TO HOGWARTS?! NO! YOU JUST HAD TO STEAL THE WEASLEY'S CAR AND FLY IT TO HOGWARTS! DIDN'T YOU THINK THAT I COULD BE BACK?"

Duncan didn't mention that he had thought about waiting by the car. After all, what's done it's done.

"YOU WERE SEEN! SEEN, BOYS! YOU ALMOST MADE MR. WEASLEY LOSE HIS JOB! YOU ALMOST GOT EXPELLED! No, scratch that, YOU HIT THE WHOMPIG WILLOW! YOU BOTH COULD HAVE DIED!

Inside the Hall, Ron winced. His mother had sent him a Howler, and he thought she could yell…until he heard Margaret Rosenblatt.

"But we didn't," Harry said without thinking.

"I can't believe you could be so reckless. I'm ashamed."

The boys flinched at the word 'ashamed'. It would be better if she had shouted that part, Duncan hated the disappointment in her voice.

"We didn't know it would turn out like this, we're sorry." Harry pouted and even managed a few tears in his eyes, not that he didn't felt that way.

Duncan didn't say anything. He felt completely horrible.

Inside the Hall, they didn't hear anything else for a few more minutes until the twins finally showed up in the Hall.

"Sorry about the charm." Fred said sheepishly as Harry and Duncan sat.

"It's okay, Harry would've killed me if he had to endure Mom alone."

"Did we miss something?" asked Harry

"Yeah," Neville sniggered, but stopped when he noticed Ron's face. "I mean, it's not so funny for him…the thing is…Ron received a Howler, so you two aren't the only ones to have your mother scolding you."

"Good to know." Duncan muttered

Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at Ron's and Harry's head.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, guys, but you -"

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Harry

* * *

After breakfast, the twins, Ron, Neville and Hermione left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept.

Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough (more than enough referring to Duncan) and was being perfectly friendly again.

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Duncan, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Duncan spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes

Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels . . ."

Duncan just huffed in annoyance and Harry rolled his eyes, both thinking the guy was too bigheaded for his own good

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before - greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Duncan caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrellasized flowers dangling from the ceiling. He was about to follow Ron, Neville, Duncan and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word…"

"Come here Harry!" Duncan grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him forwards with too much force, making Harry gasp.

"_Sorry_," he apologized

"_Don't worry, and you **did **saved me from that bloke_."

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry and Duncan had taken their place between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

"_Oh! I wonder who can?"_ The twins grinned. _"Hmm let's see…Hermione!"_

To nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was first into the air. Neville raised his hand too

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook.

"It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Hermione's hand hit Duncan as it shot up again.

"Aia!" he cried out in surprise.

"Sorry!" Hermione apologized while Ron, Harry and Neville laughed. She blushed and answered the question.

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly. Duncan almost gave a loud moan of despair. First his Mom, now this? Why him?

"Precisely. Take another ten points," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."

She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, were growing there in rows.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on."

Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one of the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

Harry let out a gasp of surprise that no one could hear.

Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.

"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione and a reluctant Duncan shared a trail.

* * *

After Transfiguration, they went to have lunch.

"What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.

"Why, "laughed Duncan, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

"No, seriously, those things seem far-fetched if you ask me. Have you read the Kaiju chapter?" asked Duncan casually. Hermione shook her head but didn't interrupt, Duncan was the only one of her friends who could have a decent talk about books. "Well, read it, and then tell me if you think the same of Lockhart."

"I will." Said Hermione defiantly. Harry now had a sudden urge of reading that chapter.

* * *

They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard.

Harry became aware that he was being closely watched. Looking up, he saw the very small, mousy-haired boy he'd seen trying on the Sorting Hat last night staring at Harry as though transfixed.

He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red.

"Take a picture, it last longer" snorted Duncan without malice, who had been watching the boy staring at Harry.

"That's exactly what I want to do. I'm -I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think - would it be all right if - can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.

Duncan's eyebrows went to the hairline

"A picture?" Harry repeated blankly.

"So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline) "and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures'll move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said,

"It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him.

And it'd be really good if I had one of you" - he looked imploringly at Harry - "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?"

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Rosenblatt?"

Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard. He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Rosenblatt's giving out signed photos!"

"And I'll be the first in the line, because I admire you, Rosenblatt" roared Duncan, in a perfect imitation of Malfoy.

Ron and Hermione laughed

"No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck.

`Jealous?"said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."

Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.

"I take it back, I would love to have a scar so I could be as famous as you" Duncan continued his imitation.

"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily. Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "Ifyou put another toe out of line' – Oh, and Rosenblatts, you too. Didn't your mother said she was ashamed of you?"

Duncan growled at him, and he noticed –what he could only guess it was- his Kaiju side trying to take control and demonstrate this boy that he shouldn't be challenged. He needed to pay him a lesson. Duncan suddenly remembered the things they said about him after the Philosopher Stone incident. And he had been practicing…he could use this at his advantage…

'Answer me something Malfoy,' Duncan kept his voice quiet and even, 'do you know what they say about me?'

'What? That you burned down Quirrel or something?' Malfoy looked around, sharing a disdainful smile with the rest of the Slytherin.

Duncan smiled. 'Exactly.'

"_Duncan_," came Harry's voice. "_What are you doing_?"

"_Putting Malfoy in his place, brother of mine_."

'So what?' asked Malfoy

'So do you think it's a good idea to provoke me?'

Malfoy laughed. 'I'm not some defenceless idiotic Muggle, the only ones who you can hurt!'

Duncan laughed as well.

Malfoy looked confused.

'No,' Duncan said, 'you're not an idiotic Muggle. You're just an idiot.'

Malfoy scowled, jumped back a step and pulled out his wand, pointing it in Duncan's face. 'Say that again Rosenblatt!'

Duncan smiled. 'Idiot,' he said, and clicked his fingers. The bottom of Malfoy's robes caught fire. There was a moment of shocked silence, and then panic broke out. Malfoy started screaming like a girl, and Crabbe and Goyle looked stupidly at each other.

'Put it out, put it out, put it out!' Malfoy screamed, trying to bat at the bottom of his robes and hopping around like a lunatic.

Duncan watched, smiling at the sight. Finally, seeing that no one was going to help the distressed Malfoy (as they were all too busy staring in shock – younger and older years alike), Harry pulled out his wand and muttered a quick spell. A torrent of water appeared as if from thin air above Malfoy, and then dropped down on him, drowning him and extinguishing the flames. Malfoy slipped and fell on his butt.

Everyone was silent as Duncan walked up to the drenched second year Slytherin. He looked down on him. 'Next time you think you can bully me, remember the smell of your stupid ass being on fire, and think twice, okay Malfoy?'

As he and his friends were hurrying to DADA, Malfoy regained his feet, face a twisted mask of hatred. 'You'll regret this Rosenblatt!'

Duncan laughed evilly, making Malfoy back away and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville flinch.

"Duncan, why'd you do that?" Hermione asked scandalized.

"He was acting like a total jerk, I put him in his place. I didn't do any magic with my wand, I only intended to scare him, plus I knew Harry knows the Aguamenti charm." He shrugged. "It was a bit of voluntary magic combined with accidental magic, mine is always related to fire, I can't really help it."

They had reached Lockhart's classroom. Harry headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him, so that he could avoid looking at the real thing.

The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron, Neville, Duncan and Hermione sat down, Duncan imitating his brother, building a tower of books in front of him.

"_Why the hell'd you DO that?! That kind of things can blow up our secret!"_ Harry said, and Duncan listened to Harry's long rant. Yeah, Harry was like their Mom in that aspect…

He was jerked out his thoughts when Lockhart put a paper on his desk.

You have thirty minutes - start - now!"

Harry looked down at his paper and read:

1- What is Gilderoy Lockhart 's favorite color?

"Pink" said Duncan

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

"Have a boyfriend" sniggered Harry

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

"Breathe." Wrote Duncan

4. What is Gilderoy Lockhart opinion of the Kaiju, who are in Germany?

"_All right, that's just offensive_" thought Duncan angrily

"_I won't permit that. That…that's an insult_!" said Harry

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

"No idea, and a photograph of himself." Wrote the twins

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.

"Tut, tut - hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully - I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples - though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdeds Old Firewhisky!"

He gave them another roguish wink. Ron and Duncan was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with doubts in her face gave a start when he mentioned her name.

". . . but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions – good girl! In fact" - he flipped her paper over - "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

Hermione raised a hand.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor!"

"Professor Lockhart, you mentioned "Kaiju" in your quiz…" Duncan's head perked up and stared at Hermione. "But those things don't exist…"

She was interrupted by an outburst of laughter by Duncan and Harry. The class looked scandalized.

"H-H-Hermione…do-doesn't know about…" more laughter. "In America are…are VERY real, I assure you…" gasped Duncan between laughs

"H-He thought…Germany!" said Harry before collapse into a fit of sniggers

"I have encountered a few of these creatures myself…" said Lockhart sternly, ignoring the twins' louder laughter. "And I assure you, they are terrifying creatures. And so - to business -"

"That could have said a five-year-old child" whispered Duncan to Harry, who agreed.

The class turned out to be a total disaster, because Lockhart had brought Cornish Pixies and had let them free in the classroom. In the end, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Duncan and Neville had to stay to capture them.

"Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.

"I think you are right in some aspects, Duncan." Admitted Hermione, before yelping when fire appeared near the pixies, cornering them until they all were in their cage. Neville promptly shut it.

"That was your doing?" asked Ron

The twins smiled.

* * *

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my chapter! **

**Now, I have something to tell you. In my profile there's a Poll to decide when will Belloc appear in the series. Go and vote!**

* * *

Harry and Duncan spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever he saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor. Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule. Hedwig and Demon were still angry with Harry and Duncan about the disastrous car journey and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning.

So with one thing and another, Harry and Duncan were quite glad to reach the weekend. Them, Ron, Neville and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning. Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.

"Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"

Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky. Now that he was awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making.

"Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."

"Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. "It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet;

"Perhaps because the season hasn't even come close to starting yet?" Harry wondered sarcastically.

"We're going to be first off the mark this year-"

After a good fifteen minutes of trying to shake Duncan to the land of living, Wood put a Silencing spell on him, and awoke him with an Aguamenti. Duncan looked quite ready to murder Wood.

Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry and Duncan climbed out of bed and tried to find their Quidditch robes.

"Good men," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."

They spent more than fifteen minutes going to the field, because Colin Creevey somehow appeared and talked to them all the way to the field and the changing rooms, in which they were received by a very impatient Wood and a sleepy team.

Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and touslehaired the others Chasers besides Duncan, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.

"Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference..."

Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Duncan's head drooped right onto Harry's shoulder and he began to snore.

"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver," said Duncan, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

Harry stiffed a laugh.

* * *

As they were walking to the field, they saw Ron, Neville and Hermione in the seats, and also that several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.

"I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!" he ran to them.

Harry, Duncan, Fred, and George followed.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."  
Angelina and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'. "

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Oh," said Duncan in surprise. "Leave it, Oliver, judging by how Malfoy flies, he needs all the training possible." The Gryffindor team laughed. As they looked at the Nimbus 2001, Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.

"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion."

Ron, Neville and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?"

He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."

Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him. Duncan nudged him. "They want you to be impressed." Whispered him. Ron looked oblivious at the brooms.

"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."

The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."

The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.

Harry tried to think of a curse nasty enough to curse that blonde-haired git, Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Katie shrieked, "How dare you!" Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoys face. Then Harry heard Duncan:

"I warned you." He hissed, and lunged at Malfoy under Flint's arm, punching him as hard as he could in the stomach…

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.

For a moment everyone was too shocked to do anything. Then they tried to separate Duncan from Malfoy, and after a few minutes, they succeeded. Duncan, however, was still resisting.

"Let me go, dammit, let me go!" he said enraged, struggling against Harry, Neville and George. "I said let me go…I don't need my wand… I'm going to kill him with my bare hands…" he growled and continued trying to break free until they left the stadium, while Harry and Hermione carried Ron. George smirked at the now tired Duncan.

"Bit of a fight you put there, eh Duncan? Remind me not to prank you." He said as he headed for the stadium again.

"I will." Answered Duncan grinning. Harry looked at him, shook his head a bit and turned to the others.

He and Neville supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest.

"Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute - almost there-"

They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out.

"Quick, behind here," Duncan growled, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one - I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!"

And he strode away toward the castle.

Harry waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently.

Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was.

"Bin wonderin'when you'd come ter see me - come in, come in - thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again-"

So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"

"Malfoy called me something - it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."

"It was bad," said Duncan, still hissing in anger. "Malfoy called her Mudblood,' Hagrid-"

Hagrid looked outraged.

"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.

"He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course-"

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," said Neville. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born - you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards - like Malfoy's family - who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood." He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin and continued, "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all."

"And they haven't invented a spell Hermione can't do," said Duncan proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta.

"It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Harry. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway."

* * *

After a while, they said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs.

They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potter -Rosenblatt - Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. Harry didn't bother with the "_My surname it's Rosenblatt_."

"You will do your detentions this evening."

"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.

"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley - elbow grease."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school.

"And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall.

"Oh n- Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" said Harry desperately. Duncan frowned at him.

"If Rosenblatt doesn't mind" said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. Seeing Duncan doesn't answering (as he had gone mute with disbelief) she said. "Then, Potter, you will scrub cauldrons with Professor Snape. Eight o'clock sharp, all of you."

"YOU KNOW I DO MIND!" exploded Duncan when she had left. "_You traitor! That is called betrayal! How could you do this to me, why would you-_?"

* * *

Duncan and Ron slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-break-school-rules sort of expression, with Duncan discussing with her if Lockhart was or not an idiot. Harry didn't enjoy his shepherd's pie as much as he'd thought. Both Duncan and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.

"Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."

"I'd swap anytime," said Duncan hollowly. "Answering Lockhart's fan mail... he'll be a nightmare... THANKS HARRY!" he growled

* * *

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and Duncan was dragging his feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. He gritted his teeth and knocked.

_"You owe me a BIG one Harry."_

_"I think this wasn't the smartest decision. Snape is being Snape-ier than usual."_

The door flew open at once. Lockhart beamed down at him.

"Ah, here's the scalawag!" he said. "Come in, Duncan, come in-"

Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lay on his desk.

"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Duncan, as though this was a huge treat. "This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her - huge fan of mine-"

The minutes snailed by. The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching him, however, they would burn with a bigger flame when he got annoyed.

_"Do you think I'll get in trouble by talking back at him?_" asked Harry. _"I am sick of hearing the 'just like your father'. I knew the bat has a grudge, but honestly."_

"_Dunno, but don't talk back just in case. It must be nearly time to leave_," Duncan thought miserably, "_please let it be nearly time_..."

And then he heard something - something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.

It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.  
"Come... come to me... Let me rip you... Let me tear you... Let me kill you..."

Duncan gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.

"What?" he said loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"

"No," said Duncan frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart was looking at Duncan in high astonishment.

"What are you talking about, Duncan? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott - look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it - the time's flown, hasn't it?"

Duncan didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now.

Dazed, Duncan left.

"_Please tell me, TELL ME I'm not going mad or anything!_" Duncan said

"_You are just as sane as I am…because I heard that voice too."_ Harry told him. "_Damned Snape…_" he muttered, giving Duncan a scare as he encountered him while rounding a corner.

"_And Lockhart said he couldn't- ugh_" Harry huffed. "And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" said Harry, talking again. Duncan could see him frowning. "D'you think he was lying? But I don't get it - even someone invisible would've had to open the door. And we both heard that."

"I know," said Duncan."I don't get it either."

* * *

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**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my chapter! **

**Now, I have something to tell you. I will start 4th year of high school tomorrow, so the updates won't be as frequent. I'm sorry!**

* * *

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward.

"And here I present, Duncan Everdeen, the boy on fire!" would laugh Harry each time he saw his brother like that.

"Keep talking, Raven, and I'll set you on fire." Growled Duncan

The news of Duncan beating Malfoy twice had spread over the castle, and now Malfoy would leave them alone, and now Duncan too had to hide from Colin.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.

Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why the twins were to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud.

"I swear, if Wood decides to train in this conditions once more…acheez! I might have to write to Mom." Duncan grumbled in a very bad mood.

"You can't be so…cheez! cruel, can you?" asked Harry sneezing too.

"Really now, do tell." He flashed his big brother a grin.

. . . don't fulfill their requirements . . . half an inch, if that . . ."

"Hello, Nick," said Harry.

"Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking round. "You look troubled, young Rosenblatts," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet.

"So do you," said Harry.

"Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance. . . . It's not as though I really wanted to join. . . . Thought I'd apply, but apparently I 'don't fulfill requirements' -" In spite of his airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face. "But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Oh - yes," said Duncan, who was obviously supposed to agree.

"I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However -" Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously: "'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'"

Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away. "Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, boys! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore."

"Some people are as biased as they are." Shrugged Duncan. "Mrs. Norris is coming, Harry! Sorry Nick, gotta go!" they ran through the corridor as the cat appeared.

* * *

All in all, Harry was disappointed when Duncan told him he wouldn't go to the feast. They were late for breakfast the Halloween day and Harry had stopped in his tracks.

"_There are a lot of preys in the Forbidden Forest, but the Halloween feast it's only once a year!_" the black-haired boy protested, his eyes shining grey

"_Harry, I am hungry. The food here nourishes me less and less!"_ Harry pouted, but he had to admit his brother had a point. He himself had started eating more and more to compensate the lack of nourishment, but he seemed to be going in the same direction as Duncan.

"_I don't know, Duncan. Remember the time you went hunting last year, you saw Voldemort_."

"_He is supposed to be far away from here. Besides, you didn't nicknamed me Firebreather for nothing_." Duncan grinned. "_I'll be in the Common Room before you finish the feast, okay?"_

Harry gave him a large, hard stare and then sighed. "_Okay, but what excuses will you tell to Ron and Hermione?_" he wasn't surprised to see his little brother speechless.

"_Erm…I…I didn't think that far. I supposed you wouldn't let me. Maybe that I have homework to do or…" _he trailed off. The oldest twin rolled his eyes before brightening.

_"I know! The ghosts are talking about Nick's deathday party, you can pretend you went there!"_

Duncan's eyes widened and tackled his brother, making them both fall onto the bed.

"Harry, you are a genius! And I pinned you, so one point for Duncan!" he cheered before Harry kicked him off the bed.

"That's cheating!" Harry growled. Duncan laughed and ran outside the room. Harry chuckled and followed him.

"_You know, one day this will be too big for us to make it a secret for everyone_." He sighed.

"_I know. But until that day, this is how things are going to be."_

* * *

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me. . . ."

Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people and the Rosenblatt twins.

"Remind me again, Duncan, when did Nick invited you to the party?" asked Hermione

"A few days ago, I heard the Grey Lady talking to him about it, and he asked me if I wanted to go. You won't like it, I bet I'll be the only breathing there." Said Duncan in a long-suffering voice. "I'd rather go to the feast…"

"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded Duncan bossily. "You said you'd go to the deathday party."

So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the packed Great Hall, while Duncan went to have his own feast in the Forest.

Duncan snorted as he gave a detour to avoid Hagrid's hut. He wouldn't like to be with ghosts more than the necessary time. They couldn't be heard unless they talked, they could not be seen if they wanted to, they couldn't be smelled. Duncan knew they also didn't mean any harm, but it was just…unnatural.

* * *

Some time later, Harry contacted him.

"_Can't eat anymore, going to leave early_," he told him.

"_Don't worry, Har, I was already walking towards here. Was the food good_?"

"_I think next time I'll join you when hunting. That is, if you want to teach me_." Duncan pondered over the idea.

"_Maybe, maybe. My meal was good. Love deer meat_." Duncan smiled

"_Yummy_," said Harry a bit revolted. "_Knowing you, you're already salivating_."

"_Shut up, Raven, I'm already inside_." Duncan growled, and a minute later was hurrying back up a passageway full of black candles.

And then Duncan heard it.

"... rip... tear... kill..."

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice he had heard in Lockhart's office.  
He stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all his might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"Duncan, what're you -?"

"It's that voice again - shut up a minute-"

"... soo hungry... for so long..."

While walking outside the Great Hall, Harry went completely still.

"Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron, Neville and Hermione froze, watching them.

"... kill... time to kill..."

The voice was growing fainter. Duncan was sure it was moving away - moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped him as he stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"This way," Harry shouted, and they began to run, out the Hall, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Duncan sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor.

"Harry, what're we-"

"SHH!"

Duncan and Harry strained their ears. Distantly, from the floor above in Duncan's case, and growing fainter still, they heard the voice: "... I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD!"

Duncan froze. He smelled blood too.

Harry's stomach lurched-

"It's going to kill someone!" he shouted, and ignoring Ron's, Neville's and Hermione's bewildered faces, Harry ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps –

_"NO HARRY! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!"_ Like hell he was going to let his brother go and face alone that kind of thing. Duncan hurtled around the whole of the second floor, not stopping until he turned a corner into the last, deserted passage, when he saw, from another corridor, Harry emerging from it, with Ron, Neville and Hermione behind him. Harry gave a cry of relief.

"You could hear it, too?" Duncan asked

"Of course, you stupid idiot!"

"Harry, Duncan, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything..."

But Neville gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look! "

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED._  
_ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE_

"What's that thing - hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Duncan almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Harry grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All five of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help -" Duncan began awkwardly.

"Trust me," said Neville. "We don't want to be found here."

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Duncan, Neville, Ron, and Hermione stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

It was Draco Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd, his cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

* * *

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my chapter! **

**SOOOOOO sorry for this late chapter! I'll try to update more frecuently, I swear!**

* * *

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced-"

All the school had seen the writing on the wall, and of course the twins, Hermione, Ron and Neville had been the principal suspects. Right now they were at Lockhart's office, being kind of interrogated.

"They did it, they did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what they wrote on the wall!"

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Duncan's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good. "Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Mr. Rosenblatt hadn't been in the feast. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

"I was invited to Nick's deathday party, Snape." Duncan continued with the lying.

"But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"

"Because - because -" Duncan said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if he told them he had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but he and his brother could hear.

"Because I wasn't feeling well and I was on my way back to the Gryffindor Tower." Duncan finally managed to say. Snape just stared at him.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Rosenblatt is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he's ready to be honest."

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Rosenblatt has done anything wrong."

Dumbledore was giving Duncan a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made Duncan feel as though he were being X-rayed. If that man meddled with them again…

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious.

They argued for a while, before they were told they were allowed to leave.

When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry and Duncan squinted at their friends' darkened faces.

"D'you think we should have told them about that voice we heard?"

"I don't know, guys." Neville said. "I mean, yeah, you two said you heard it, but maybe they won't believe you."

"It's weird, really. It was coming like from the walls." Harry said as they walked.

"I know it's weird," said Hermione. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened ... What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Neville slowly. "I think someone told me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once... might've been Gran..."

"It's bloodthirsty." Duncan said. The other four looked at him. "What? You hear it as well as me, Harry. Tear…rip…kill…I smell blood…" Duncan did a frighteningly accurate impression of the voice that made Harry's hair stand up.

"I smell blood? A human can smell blood?" Ron asked confused. Neville and Hermione shook their heads.

"So maybe, that voice belongs to someone who isn't actually…" Harry glanced at Duncan. "…human."

* * *

For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover.

"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her."

Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking -" Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Duncan was almost as keen as her. Nor could Harry and Ron get much response from them when they asked what they was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.

Harry and Duncan had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made them stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks. After a hurried lunch, they went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming toward them. Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of them, turned abruptly, and sped off in the opposite direction.

In History of Magic, they had an –unusually- interesting lesson, and learned about the Chamber of Secrets, who was built by Salazar Slytherin, the first pureblood fanatic.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry, Duncan, Neville and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home..."

Harry and Duncan didn't hear him, more worried about the supposed 'monster' in the chamber. If there really was one…Fluffy had been enough…

As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevy went past.

"Hiya, Harry!"

"Hullo, Colin," said Harry automatically.

"Harry - Harry - a boy in my class has been saying you and your cousin're-"

But Colin was so small he couldn't fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry!" and he was gone.

"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.

"That I'm Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.

"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.

The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.

"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Neville asked Hermione.

"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think about what you said the other night, Harry."

"The nonhuman attacker…but we heard his voice…how can the attacker be nonhuman if we heard his voice?" Harry wondered aloud.

"I think I have read about people communicating with other beings or something…I should look it up…" Duncan mumbled. They were interrupted by Neville.

"Come and look at this! This is funny..."

Harry crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Neville was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.

"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.

"No," said Harry and Duncan together, "have you, Ron? Ron?"  
He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"I - don't - like - spiders," said Ron tensely.

"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times..."

"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move..."

Hermione giggled.

"It's not funny," said Ron, fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my - my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick... You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and..."

"Try that your brother almost got you on flames when we were seven." Harry retorted

"It was an accident!" Duncan said, seeing the look in Hermione's face.

Feeling they had better get off the subject, Harry said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."

"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's chair and pointing. "Level with this door."

He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd been burned.

"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet."

"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Hermione standing up and coming over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's have a look."  
And ignoring the large OUT of ORDER sign, she opened the door.

Duncan discovered that a girls' bathroom was one of the gloomiest places of existence, that Moaning Myrtle had probably bipolar disorder, and Percy was a total prat.

* * *

Harry, Duncan, Neville, Ron, and Hermione chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment. Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To Harry's surprise, Hermione followed suit.

"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwart's?"

"Let's think," said Duncan in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

He looked at Hermione. Hermione looked back, unconvinced.

"If you're talking about Malfoy-"

"Of course I am!" said Duncan. "You heard him - You'll be next, Mudbloods!'- come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him-"

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.

"_Well, Duncan, the Prince of the Kaiju_." Harry said back. Duncan nearly choked.

"_I am related to the king, that's all. I'm not the…heir or anything. Merlin, that would be horrible…"_ Duncan trailed off shuddering

"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books, too. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"But, aren't the Malfoys all surrounded by servants and stuff? They could have a servant to do the dirty bidding for them...then again, Draco should know..." Neville reasoned

"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son ..."

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible..."

"But how do we prove it?" said Duncan darkly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect-"

"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.

"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."  
"But that's impossible," Harry and Neville said as Ron laughed.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"Hermione what the hell?!" asked Duncan in amazement

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago-"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"It transforms you into somebody else. Like shapeshifting. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him." Explained Duncan

"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Neville, frowning. "What if we were stuck looking like five of the Slytherins forever?"

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library." There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher."

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance..."

"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick..."

"I know the perfect teacher!" cried the twins happily

* * *

**Well, review, pm, and spread the word**

**Your favorite dark-eyed,**

**H. E. B.**


End file.
